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HomeMy WebLinkAboutPROSPECT SPORTS STAND-ALONE MODIFICATION - MOD230002 - SUBMITTAL DOCUMENTS - ROUND 1 - DESIGN NARRATIVE Prospect Sports Club Standalone Modification Request: 3.5.3(C)(2) Orientation to Build-to Lines for Streetfront Buildings Prospect Sports Club Standalone Modification Request: 3.5.3(C)(2) Orientation to Build-to Lines for Streetfront Buildings PROJECT INFORMATION AND DESIGN NARRATIVE Background Prospect Sports is a planned new 3-court facility envisioned to fulfill a need for basketball and volleyball courts that are in low supply and high demand in Northern Colorado. It is intended to bolster the community while keeping the integrity, continuity, and connectivity of the surrounding neighborhood. As an infill project planned for a narrow, undeveloped corner lot in the established Prospect Park area, the property has many physical constraints that limit its development. However, in the time since the Conceptual Review meeting to introduce the project to city staff was held, the design team has developed a thoughtful, attractive and efficient plan and vision for this community amenity. The proposed project will require review and approval by the City of Fort Collins through a Type II PDP process. Due to the physical constraints of the site, three Modifications of Standards will be required to achieve the planned project. In order to confirm support of the Modifications of Standards before completing the detailed design and engineering plans required for the PDP submittal, we are seeking standalone review and approval of these three Modifications of Standards as allowed by the Land Use Code. Approval of the Modfications will not eliminate the requirement for our development plans to be approved through a Type II PDP review process, but with approval of the Modifications we will have better direction for development of our PDP submittal. The following information pertains to the request for modification of section 3.5.3(C)(2) 3.5.3(C)(2) 3.5.3(C)(2) 3.5.3(C)(2) Orientation to BuildOrientation to BuildOrientation to BuildOrientation to Build----to Lines for Streetfront Buildingsto Lines for Streetfront Buildingsto Lines for Streetfront Buildingsto Lines for Streetfront Buildings.... Prospect Sports Club Standalone Modification Request: 3.5.3(C)(2) Orientation to Build-to Lines for Streetfront Buildings Planning Context The property is located at the southwest corner of East Prospect Road and Sharp Point Drive and is platted as Lot 5 of the Prospect Park East PUD. As a part of the Prospect Park development, substantial pedestrian and access easements were dedicated along both East Prospect Road (50' easement) and Sharp Point Drive (25’ easement). These easements are landscaped with mature trees and contain meandering detached sidewalks. Vehicular access to the site is not allowed from either street frontage but instead is intended to be shared with the existing drive on the north end of Lot 6. An access easement is in place to allow this access to the property. Zoning Map Neighborhood Context Prospect Sports Club Standalone Modification Request: 3.5.3(C)(2) Orientation to Build-to Lines for Streetfront Buildings Existing Conditions Survey Prospect Sports Club Standalone Modification Request: 3.5.3(C)(2) Orientation to Build-to Lines for Streetfront Buildings Concept Site Plan Description To best accommodate the site access limitations, our current site concept locates the building near the intersection of East Prospect Road and Sharp Point Drive with visitor parking to the west of the building. This allows access to the parking from the shared access drive at Sharp Point Drive within the existing access easement and allows for fire access to the building from Sharp Point Drive. The primary building entrance will be located near the northwest corner of the building near East Prospect Road with a pedestrian plaza and drop-off lane. A direct pedestrian connection is planned from this plaza and building entrance to the adjacent public sidewalk on East Prospect Road, and will double as an emergency vehicle access if required by Poudre Fire Authority. Concept Site Plan Prospect Sports Club Standalone Modification Request: 3.5.3(C)(2) Orientation to Build-to Lines for Streetfront Buildings Modification of Standards Request The Land Use Code is adopted with the recognition that there will be cases where circumstances in a given development plan may warrant a design solution that does not comply with a standard as written. Thus, the code includes a provision for ‘Modification of Standards with certain criteria. The criteria for modification requests are in Land Use Code Division 2.8.2(H) as follows: Land Use Code Modification Criteria: The decision maker may grant a modification of standards only if it finds that the granting of the modification would not be detrimental to the public good, and that: (1) the plan as submitted will promote the general purpose of the standard for which the modification is requested equally well or better than would a plan which complies with the standard for which a modification is requested; or (2) the granting of a modification from the strict application of any standard would, without impairing the intent and purpose of this Land Use Code, substantially alleviate an existing, defined and described problem of city-wide concern or would result in a substantial benefit to the city by reason of the fact that the proposed project would substantially address an important community need specifically and expressly defined and described in the city's Comprehensive Plan or in an adopted policy, ordinance or resolution of the City Council, and the strict application of such a standard would render the project practically infeasible; or (3) by reason of exceptional physical conditions or other extraordinary and exceptional situations, unique to such property, including, but not limited to, physical conditions such as exceptional narrowness, shallowness or topography, or physical conditions which hinder the owner's ability to install a solar energy system, the strict application of the standard sought to be modified would result in unusual and exceptional practical difficulties, or exceptional or undue hardship upon the owner of such property, provided that such difficulties or hardship are not caused by the act or omission of the applicant; or (4) the plan as submitted will not diverge from the standards of the Land Use Code that are authorized by this Division to be modified except in a nominal, inconsequential way when considered from the perspective of the entire development plan, and will continue to advance the purposes of the Land Use Code as contained in Section 1.2.2. Any finding made under subparagraph (1), (2), (3) or (4) above shall be supported by specific findings showing how the plan, as submitted, meets the requirements and criteria of said subparagraph (1), (2), (3) or (4). Prospect Sports Club Standalone Modification Request: 3.5.3(C)(2) Orientation to Build-to Lines for Streetfront Buildings Modification (or Exception) to 3.5.3(C)(2) Orientation to Build-to Lines for Streetfront Buildings This standard requires buildings to be located no more than fifteen (15) feet from the right-of-way of an adjoining street if the street is smaller than a full arterial or has on-street parking. For arterial streets, buildings are required to be located at least ten (10) and no more than twenty-five (25) feet behind the street right-of-way of an adjoining street that is larger than a two-lane arterial that does not have on-street parking. If a lot has multiple streets, then the building shall be built to at least two (2) of the streets. For this parcel, this standard would require the building to be located no more than twenty-five (25) feet from East Prospect Road and no more than fifteen (15) feet from Sharp Point Drive. The plans for the Prospect Park neighborhood and the Prospect Corridor Plan established larger setbacks along both of these streets including pedestrian easements to ensure larger landscaped setbacks would be maintained with development. These pedestrian easements prohibit a building location meeting the 3.5.3(C)(2) standard (see diagram below). Prospect Sports Club Standalone Modification Request: 3.5.3(C)(2) Orientation to Build-to Lines for Streetfront Buildings In addition, since this parcel is a small corner lot at the intersection of East Prospect Road (four- lane arterial) and Sharp Point Drive (major collector), we are not allowed to create a new public vehicle access point on either road. Instead, access to this lot is required from the access easement that exists on Lot 6 to allow shared access from Sharp Point Drive to this lot (see diagram below). Although the pedestrian easements and access restrictions prohibit a building location meeting these standards, we propose a building and parking design that meets the purpose of Section 3.5.3 and these subsections while still honoring these existing pedestrian and access easements. The main building entrance, pedestrian entry plaza and pick-up / drop-off lanes are planned at the northwest corner of the building. This main entrance faces and opens directly onto connecting walkways with direct pedestrian connections to the adjacent public sidewalk on East Prospect Road with direct access to the adjacent transit routes and the Sharp Point Drive intersection. The pedestrian connection from the building entrance and the adjacent public sidewalk does not cross the parking or drives. See site concept below: Prospect Sports Club Standalone Modification Request: 3.5.3(C)(2) Orientation to Build-to Lines for Streetfront Buildings Exception Allowance Section 3.5.3.(C)(2)(d) allows exceptions to the build-to line standards to be permitted with one or more of the following criteria: 1. in order to form an outdoor space such as a plaza, courtyard, patio or garden between a building and the sidewalk. Such a larger front yard area shall have landscaping, low walls, fencing or railings, a tree canopy and/or other similar site improvements along the sidewalk designed for pedestrian interest, comfort and visual continuity. The plan proposes a pedestrian plaza with seating at the main building entrance and along the pick-up / drop-off area. 2. if the building abuts a four-lane or six-lane arterial street, (East Prospect Road is a four- lane arterial) and the Director has determined that an alternative to the street sidewalk better serves the purpose of connecting commercial destinations due to one (1) or more of the following constraints: a. high volume and/or speed of traffic on the abutting street(s), East Prospect Road is a four-lane arterial, high-volume and speed) c. an established pattern of existing buildings that makes a pedestrian-oriented streetfront infeasible. The proposed plan matches the established pattern of existing buildings and Prospect Sports Club Standalone Modification Request: 3.5.3(C)(2) Orientation to Build-to Lines for Streetfront Buildings utilizes the existing access easements and pedestrian easements making the strict build-to line distances infeasible. Such an alternative to the street sidewalk must include a connecting walkway(s) and may include internal walkways or other directly connecting outdoor spaces such as plazas, courtyards, squares or gardens. The proposed plan includes a main building entrance that faces and opens directly onto connecting walkways, a pedestrian plaza with seating for pick-up / drop-off and direct pedestrian connections to the adjacent public sidewalk existing on East Prospect Road. Conclusions We submit that the proposed concept plan meets the criteria of an alternative plan that can be approved by the Director as an exception to the build-to line standards. However, if a Modification of Standards is required, we submit that the Modification should be supported based on the following findings: The granting of the modification would not be detrimental to the public good, and meets criteria (1) “equal to or better than”, (3) “exceptional physical conditions”, and (4) “nominal and inconsequential from the perspective of the whole plan”: Not Detrimental to the Public Good. The building location matches the established pattern of buildings and parking and provides direct pedestrian connections to the adjacent public sidewalk. Equal or Better. The alternative plan promotes the design of an urban environment that is built to human scale while in context of the established pedestrian easements and landscaped setbacks established in the Prospect Corridor and access restrictions for public streets. Exceptional Physical Conditions. The property is a narrow corner lot within the Prospect East area at the intersection of East Prospect Road (four-lane arterial) and Sharp Point Drive (major collector). The narrowness of the parcel and the existing pedestrian easements and limited access prohibits strict application of the standard. Nominal and Inconsequential. The alternative plan meets the purpose of the standard and the criteria for an exception to the standard by providing a main building entrance that faces and opens directly onto connecting walkways, a pedestrian plaza with seating for pick-up / drop-off and direct pedestrian connections to the adjacent public sidewalk and the East Prospect Road / Sharp Point Drive intersection without crossing parking or drives. It matches the established pattern of buildings and parking. For these reasons, the plan will continue to advance the purposes of the Land Use Code.